Creating Pathways to Oregon Historic Landscape Architecture Collections
Post by Liliya Benz, Special Projects Processing Archivist
Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce that access to previously unavailable material related to Oregon landscape architects Chester E. Corry, Barbara Fealy, Elizabeth Lord, and Edith Schryver is now available. Finding aids for each of the three collections can be found on ArchivesSpace:
- Chester E. Corry papers
- Barbara Fealy landscape architectural records
- Lord & Schryver landscape architectural records
Come explore the working lives of the superintendent of parks in Ashland, Oregon, the first woman to be elected fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and the first women working in landscape architecture in Oregon. The Chester E. Corry papers, Barbara Fealy landscape architectural records, and Lord & Schryver landscape architectural records contain hundreds of newly processed landscape architectural designs, plans, and drawings; updated finding aids; and digitally accessible items available through Oregon Digital.
Chester E. Corry (1906-1989) was an Oregon landscape architect who worked predominantly in southern Oregon and is best known for his work at Ashland’s Lithia Park. The Chester E. Corry papers contain landscape architecture plans for public areas and residential clients, some accompanying documentation for landscape projects, clippings, correspondence, and an autobiography. Most projects were conducted in Ashland and Medford, Oregon, however several other areas, including 17 cities and counties in Oregon, five cities in California, and one city in Massachusetts, can be found among the plans. Public projects of note include Corry’s designs for Lithia Park (Ashland, Oregon); several banks and schools in Ashland and Medford, Oregon; Yreka City Park (Yreka, California); and work commissioned by the Oregon Shakespearean Festival Association.
Barbara Fealy (1903-2000) was a landscape architect who primarily practiced in the Pacific Northwest. Fealy was the first woman to be elected as fellow to the ASLA in 1985 and received several honors and awards during the late 1980s and early 1990s for her work at Salishan Lodge, Timberline Lodge, and the Lewis Residence. The Barbara Fealy landscape architectural records include her firm’s architectural drawings, client files, and photographs. A variety of locations are present among the drawings including 65 unique areas in Oregon, 15 areas in Washington, two areas in California, and one area each in North Carolina, British Columbia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Elizabeth Lord (1887-1976) and Edith Schryver (1901-1984) founded the Lord & Schryver landscape architecture firm in 1929 in Salem, Oregon. Working from Lord’s family home in Salem, Oregon, the pair designed gardens for locations throughout Oregon and Washington and were the first women working in landscape architecture in Oregon. The Lord & Schryver landscape architectural records contain landscaping plans and drawings, correspondence, office files, subject files, photographs, brief biographical sketches, and notes relating to Lord’s and Schryver’s work as landscape architects.
These three collections were chosen as part of a LSTA-funded project entitled “Creating Pathways to Oregon Historic Landscape Architectural Collections.” The goals of the project were to process 47.1 linear feet of archival material never before accessible to the public, create remotely accessible digital surrogates of select large-format drawings and plans, and stabilize collection materials for long-term storage and preservation.
